Thinking about jumping the shark.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by BigNickMontana

I made this video yesterday, finally got it posted.

I really enjoyed watching your vid

[BigNickMontana]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

I really enjoyed watching your vid

Thanks!

[uncle stinkybob]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

On the sailing thing, I think it's overrated.
By that I mean it's just not that difficult, I had never sailed anything, never had been on a sailboat before buying the one I have now.
Now boat sense, is a different animal, if you don't have some experience with larger boats, well then take the classes I guess, as inertia is a terrible thing if your not expecting it

I do plan on hiring a Racer friend to teach me some tricks and teach the wife this Summer, but so far as just being able to sail around and go places, it's mostly common sense from what I can tell, that and trial and error.

Just curious bro. You Army? You gunship boy's (cobra in my day) were a GOD send when us goundpounder's stepped in the poop. More than a few times my sorry ass was saved by solid air support, hat's off to you my friend!

[BigNickMontana]

Originally Posted by Juho

That was a nice and comprehensive start for the sailing vlog. It seems you already have most of the useful skills and understanding (whatever you can get without spending lots of time on sailing boats) under your belt.

One thing I have not seen discussed yet is safety at sea. But my guess is that you already understand the need to double all the crucial stuff, to learn the skills, and to be careful out there. Hope you find the correct boat soon (but not too hastily), so we will see more of the story.

That is definitely a topic I am going to get into. Safety is something that is very important but seems to be lost in the greater scheme of things when foreshadowed by the romance of the adventure.

Also you hit the nail on the head there, there is a lot of safety in redundancy.

For instance, I am going to outfit my boat with a 2nd alternator, it will have 2 battery systems, and the systems will be able to manually be switched to one side or the other or both, and I am also going to separate my GPS, Chart Plotter and Radar onto one system, and my radios and other electronics will be on the other.

The idea being I can carry a spare radio if one goes out, but the other systems are very very expensive, and the last thing I need is a transmitter blowing the finals or shorting the coax and back feeding its transmission into the boats electrical system taking those out.

Also I will be able to start the engine with either system, so if I do something stupid that drains one set of batteries over night, I can get my motor running again.

Also the solar bank will be split side to side.

I see this being a huge advantage as well if you are in the middle of a storm in a bad location where you never hoped you would be and the alternator goes tits up, you can just flip a switch and all systems will still be powered so you don't have to shut down right then and there for repairs.

Something else I really haven't seen is people using LED rope lighting to light up their interiors, its great because it is water proof, you can run it along the floor, it gives you enough light to see, but not enough to destroy your night vision.

Also way less likely to keep someone awake.

Just some of the things I have been mulling over anyways.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by uncle stinkybob

Just curious bro. You Army? You gunship boy's (cobra in my day) were a GOD send when us goundpounder's stepped in the poop. More than a few times my sorry ass was saved by solid air support, hat's off to you my friend!

Yes, Army, retired in 02 AH-64 A&D test pilot. I've been a64pilot since the days of America Online.

Thanks

[BigNickMontana]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Yes, Army, retired in 02 AH-64 A&D test pilot. I've been a64pilot since the days of America Online.

Thanks

No wonder you took right to sailing, after training to fly a machine that is constantly trying to fall out of the sky, a sailboat had to be a breeze!

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by BigNickMontana

Something else I really haven't seen is people using LED rope lighting to light up their interiors, its great because it is water proof, you can run it along the floor, it gives you enough light to see, but not enough to destroy your night vision.

Also way less likely to keep someone awake.

Just some of the things I have been mulling over anyways.

It's being used just not discussed. Look into RGB rope lights so you can use red underway at night. If at the dock you can have your own private disco. My boat had traditional (single color) reading lights when I purchased it that were changed to LED. I wanted to be able to see underway and went with RGB rope lighting below as well. Watch for how the lighting is powered. Most I saw when shopping were 12v with an AC transformer. I just cut the transformer off and wired into the switch. Mine can dim as well which is nice for off watch sleeping.

HTH
SC

[BigNickMontana]

Originally Posted by sailcruiser

It's being used just not discussed. Look into RGB rope lights so you can use red underway at night. If at the dock you can have your own private disco. My boat had traditional (single color) reading lights when I purchased it that were changed to LED. I wanted to be able to see underway and went with RGB rope lighting below as well. Watch for how the lighting is powered. Most I saw when shopping were 12v with an AC transformer. I just cut the transformer off and wired into the switch. Mine can dim as well which is nice for off watch sleeping.

HTH
SC

That is the way to do it for sure!

[a64pilot]

I used these for interior lights
Leegoal LEDwholesalers LED Strip Lights PWM Dimming Controller For LED Lights or Ribbon, 12 Volt 8/10 Amp, 3301 - Dimmer Switches - Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Light...ilpage_o04_s00

About $10 and work surprisingly well off of battery direct.
and these for cockpit lights
http://www.amazon.com/Lerway-Control...ilpage_o07_s00
http://www.amazon.com/Rayhoo-Waterpr...ilpage_o08_s00

less than $10 and work really well and are very dimmable

[uncle stinkybob]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I used these for interior lights
Leegoal LEDwholesalers LED Strip Lights PWM Dimming Controller For LED Lights or Ribbon, 12 Volt 8/10 Amp, 3301 - Dimmer Switches - Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Light...ilpage_o04_s00

About $10 and work surprisingly well off of battery direct.
and these for cockpit lights
http://www.amazon.com/Lerway-Control...ilpage_o07_s00
http://www.amazon.com/Rayhoo-Waterpr...ilpage_o08_s00

less than $10 and work really well and are very dimmable

WOW, that turns out to be amazingly affordable. I really like the day/night waterproof strip. Great links, thanks for posting. I'm ordering this afternoon.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by first wind

there are costs. but, everything costs. people own homes. they cost. not just initial but daily costs, upkeep, repair. still, people own houses. the costs of sailing is really dependent on how you go about it. you could live on water like you live on land and blow a fortune. then again, there are people living on sailboats and cruising for very little. it all depends on what you want.

besides, as long as he is stateside, he can earn a buck if he needs to. heck, he can drive a truck! and people are always looking for a good mechanic to work on their cars.

bottom line, you can be rich and own a sailboat but, you don't necessarily have to be.

Sorry comparing the up keep and costs of a boat and a house?

[a64pilot]

The ones for the cockpit are dirt cheap, meant to be daytime LED running lights for cars.
They have the foam tape on one side so I stick them to the undersides of the Bimini tubes, the remote control dimmer means no drilling holes for switches or anything, it even comes with the coin battery.'
Salt eventually got to the lights, right where the wire enters them, so on the second pair I put a drop of silicone to seal that area, so far so good, but they are so cheap I ordered three pairs and have them as spares.
I haven't noticed any RF on the radio, but they may be bad about that, I don't know. I believe cheap LED's often are.

[oblivionboyj]

Hey Big Nick, you started quite a thread here! LOL

I read most of the posts, and skimmed the rest. I have a few thoughts (some of which has been touched on already). I figured I would share a little of what my experience has been like. I can't speak much to living aboard right now, I am not there yet. But I am close to people who have made the jump and I am helping my brother get aboard his own boat (he is still shopping).
The first thing I was going to suggest is to think about the Gulf or Atlantic coasts. I found my first boat in Virginia. She was a Columbia 8.7 sloop and I paid less than $1k for her. She needed some work, but was a full seaworthy boat. A little small for liveaboard, and not a blue water boat by any means. But she had enough space for vacations (wife, daughter, and dog along) and enough headroom in the salon for me to stand erect (I am 6'4"). I had her for 18 months and cut my teeth on her in the Chesapeak, which are really forgiving waters to sail in. The slip I had her in cost me $950 a year, including electric. She was only hauled out for scrape, paint, and inspections. I let her go to a good friend in exchange for some work on my new boat. He is currently living aboard her part time and is sailing south toward the Carolinas in the spring.
After her I bought my current boat, a Westsail 32 cutter. She is bigger, more comfortable, and more of a blue water boat than my Columbia was. She would be more than enough boat for a couple to liveaboard, and is in what seems to be about the sweet spot for reasonable maintenance and mooring/slip costs. I got a great deal on her, as she is seaworthy with solid rigging, sails, and equipment. I paid $15k and the cost of my slip was the same as it had been on my Columbia. She isn't perfect yet, but I working on getting her there. I have moved to Connecticut this winter, and will be sailing her up to Long Island Sound this summer. I will actually be putting her on the hard for the second half of the season to do the work I want to get done on her. I am going to be paying $75 a month for my winter storage, and can do the work I want to do onsite. In spring I will be moving to a mooring that will cost me $275 for the 2017 season.
A good friend of mine is currently living aboard and cruising South Florida and the Bahamas. He came to the east coast from California to take advantage of the much lower cost of boats/moorings/slips and to get more experience in more forgiving seas. The boat he is on is an Alberg 37 yawl. he lives on it alone with his Doberman. The interior space seems on par with my Westie, but it has a much larger cockpit and a mizzen sail. She is a very comfortable boat. He paid something in the mid $30s and she was fully equipped and ready to leave. He did put some money in to her for items of comfort and a new chartplotter. But in general she really has been truly "ready to cruise". He plans to put her on the hard next month in Florida, and return to Virginia for his other boat. He bought a Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 ketch in need of a rebuild/refit for $1k. He plans to spend the next year working on her full time, and sail her back to California. I am not sure if he plans to sell it once it is there. I only know that much of his plan. He said he is spending average $1100 a month, mostly anchoring out (but not always- I know he rented slips a lot when he was coming down the ICW in fall). Both of his boats are in about the inexpensive to keep range as well I think.
My brother is looking for a boat to liveaboard something in the 45 foot range with his wife. Last time I spoke to him he was looking at a Gulfstar 44 that is in fantastic shape for $35k. It is cheap because of a divorce. He is also looking in the Virginia area due to the high volume of good deals on solid sailboats. Once he finds the right boat he plans to spend a year bumming around Virginia, and then head south for Florida. I honestly believe he is looking for is a little out of the sweet spot for cost of ownership vs livability. I have told him as much, but he is gonna do what he wants. LOL
Another friend, who just happens to be a trucker in the PNW, decided after a year of looking for a boat to liveaboard in the Seattle area to leave the PNW and move to the Gulf Coast of Florida to find his boat. The cost of living, cost of boats, low volume of good deals on boats, difficult seas, rainy weather, and overcrowdation in the area drove his decision making. I know he is looking for something similar to what my brother wants.
Another couple I am close to (he is Australian and she is French) bought their Bristol 30 on Long Island for $16k. They sailed her down the east coast a couple winters ago and ended up in my marina in Virginia, which they called home on and off until last fall. They live on her with their toddler and are currently in Cuba, and on the way to Central America. I know they live on much less than $1k a month, and that is for a family of 3.

I told you all this because I thought that you could maybe get some perspective, and get a little information that would be useful to you. My point is that it would be worth it for you to consider the east coast. If I can help, send me a PM. Good luck, I hope I helped

[first wind]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Sorry comparing the up keep and costs of a boat and a house?

if you live aboard, your boat is your house. home ownership of anything less than a brand new home is costly. it's always something. and, if you have a yard, the cost and effort to maintain a house just goes up. it's a fair comparison.

my point was that any path you choose has costs. certainly, a sailboat and a life lived aboard is not the costliest. of course, just like a house or a car, the more bings and whistles you add the more upkeep and cost you add.

not sure how my point confuses you....

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by first wind

if you live aboard, your boat is your house. home ownership of anything less than a brand new home is costly.
//
not sure how my point confuses you....

Cos it's apples and oranges.
Plus, some people rented their oranges while they may own their apples.